Not Afraid Films

Future of AI

admin — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:10:37 +0000

My USA TODAY interview with futurist Ray Kurzweil about the future of artificial intelligence and where we stand on the road to the Singularity.

REPUBLIC OF FEAR

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 21:10:33 +0000

A project for my American University Backpack Documentary course in the Spring 2010 semester, Republic of Fear focuses on a report by the Washington-based Center for Public Integrity entitled ‘The War Card.’ The report uncovers a concerted campaign of falsehoods by Bush Administration officials that paved the way for the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Relying on archival footage and an in-depth interview with the report’s co-author, Charles Lewis, the film probes the terrorizing climate of fear that the government falsehoods, aided by a cowed media, created in our society and questions whether we do, in fact, have a democracy.

Are newspapers dying?

admin_php — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:22:41 +0000

A USA TODAY managing editor and visitors at the Washington-based Newseum are interviewed on the future of an ailing newspaper industry.

links for 2010-02-27

admin_php — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:02:42 +0000

Environmental filmmaking authority blasts 'wildlife pornography' films

'The aggressive tactics used to draw animals to film sites and capture unnatural scenes, such as man-made feeding frenzies, produce what some call "wildlife pornography" — films in which animals are exploited for viewers' pleasure and funders' return on investment.'
The horror! The horror! Doc turns the lens on film festivals

' "Official Rejection," Paul Osborne's amusing and sometimes revelatory documentary about the grueling process of promoting low-budget independent movies, spends much of its 107-minute running time exposing the inequities and incompetence of some film festivals. Watching it, you often wonder: Grapes of wrath? Or sour grapes?'

links for 2010-02-26

admin_php — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:03:46 +0000

Reviews of "wholly spectacular' Oscar-nominated short films

'This year’s selection of five live action short films was wholly spectacular. There isn’t a bad movie in the bunch (I wish I could say the same about the feature-length Best Picture nominees). Here are, as briefly as possible, reviews of the five live-action short films:'

links for 2010-02-24

admin_php — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:04:41 +0000

Hannity denying reality again? Seen as blaming Wall Street collapse on – who else? – 60's 'hippies'

You decide: 'On his February 23 show, Sean Hannity devoted the entire hour of his show to airing and discussing Generation Zero, a film produced by conservative activists about the financial crisis. In the segment below Hannity and the filmmakers lay blame for the crisis on baby boomers (or "'60's hippies," in the words of producer David Bossie) moving away from conservative ideas by taking advantage of corporate personhood in order to avoid personal responsibility for the risks they took with the funds their banks controlled'
Upper-crust Philadelphians nicely pilloried in enthusiastically received 'Steal' doc

'The movie is "The Art of the Steal," a documentary about Philadelphian Albert Barnes, his world-renowned collection of Impressionist and Postimpressionist art housed in Lower Merion, and the hijacking of that collection to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway by Philadelphia city officials and area philanthropists.'

links for 2009-10-21

admin_php — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:06:08 +0000

HBO's 'Schmatta' spotlights once-powerful fashion business, reveals 'a world unraveled'

'New York's famed Garment District didn't factor into documentarian Marc Levin's plans as he searched for a focal point about America's troubled economy at least not until a brainstorming session with HBO documentary chief Sheila Nevins.'
Kerouac's 'Big Sur' brought to life by new doc's musicians, writers and poets

'Jack Kerouac's 1960 visit to Big Sur was not a happy one; although he set out to find some peace in the wilderness of the California coast, instead he reckoned with his own disquiet. He did, however, manage to write about his experience in the 1962 book "Big Sur" — and the trip is now brought to life in the new documentary "One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur." '

links for 2009-10-15

admin_php — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:05:49 +0000

A six-night Monty Python documentary: 'Circus' that never ends

'The documentary, co-produced by IFC and British reality-TV giant Eagle Rock, is a straightforward retelling of the franchise’s history, from its formative years to the present day.'
Hitchcock fans can feast on rare hour-long interview (free)

'In 1973, Tom Snyder interviewed Alfred Hitchcock for the Tomorrow Show. Thought to be lost, the whole thing is now up on YouTube after being transferred from a VHS tape.'

links for 2009-10-08

admin_php — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:05:08 +0000

The Independent reviews 'the true nature of activism in film'

'Recent years have blurred the role between activist, journalist, and artist, and further thinned the line between news and film—most notably in the short film model. Online outlets are brimming with social and political messages propagated through explosive short films and video—a form of call-and-response activism employing advances in new technology has broadened citizen participation in, and exposure to, controversial issues.'
Merin's 'Best Documentaries of 2009'

'The best documentary films of 2009 use a wide range of cinematic techniques and effects — including infra red cameras, animation and graphics — to present compelling stories elucidating the pressing issues of our day, including environmental and social issues of global importance.'

links for 2009-09-21

admin_php — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:04:24 +0000

Five-part documentary about Newark finds hope in 'Brick City'

' “Brick City,” nimbly shot in a fly-on-the-wall style, is bound to be compared to the HBO drama “The Wire,” about the urban challenges facing Baltimore. Each has multiple, contrapuntal story lines focusing on City Hall, the police and the streets.
Susan Boyle to star in documentary about her life

"The ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ singer has sparked a bidding war for footage of her recent trip to the US – which saw her mobbed hordes of screaming fans as she flew in to perform on the final of ‘America’s Got Talent’."